Restless
by OpheliaAddams
Summary: Everything went as planned: Sejuani has finally killed Ashe and she rules over the Avarosan camp and the Winter's Claw. With all the comfort and luxury now thrust upon her, she does not realize one thing: the biggest challenge is only ahead. / art done by the amazing suqling ( check her out!
1. Chapter 1

Nobody stopped her from entering the dark tent which was hidden under the deep snow that the walls, made of bear skin, promised to break under the heavy weight.

Her blue eyes moved from one grown up man to another. They all stood in a small circle and in the middle of it all, there was a small girl, Sejuani's sister who was older than she only by two years. Her coughs were heavy and when she spit out, she could see small crimson drops fall on the pale cheeks of her beloved sister.

She knew what was coming next, that all was visible from the faces around her and this wasn't the first time she witnessed the death of her brothers or sisters. She was almost ten years of age now, and out of the eight kids she and her younger brother had survived, but for how long? She did not wish to think of that question now even though the answer was relatively self-explanatory and obvious.

Stella coughed heavily again and her chest seemed to be filled with tiny bombs which promised to explode at any minute now. Sejuani moved closer and although she took her sister by the hand, it seemed that the death was already so close and everything else was out of limits by now. Her father, who was sitting next to her, looked at his dying child.

He was not old, but with the eternal struggles to keep his family safe and alive, his face was wrinkled and for he did not have time to shave, he was quite bearded.

She did not notice how the time flew, or how people shifted around her, how some left or entered instead, wished her father some things. The only thing Sejuani could look at was her sister, listen to her heavy breathing and the coughs. Only when they suddenly stopped, and Stella's fingers clenched around hers for a moment, as if trying to hold on for her life a little longer, did she stop moving and the hand, which was already cold enough, was taken by the night.

She did not cry, although she heard many women behind her sob quietly. Her father touched her shoulder and she stood up. It was only her, father and brother now. No one else had survived from their family.

"Die!" screamed a short haired woman as she impaled another one into the ground, hands around her thin neck. Ashe's bow was thrown away and her arrows were lost in the deep snow. "Die!" Sejuani repeated in a desperate tone that was mixed with both anger and sadness.  
The Archer's hands tried to push away hers, but she failed miserably and as she pressed even harder, she witnessed how Ashe's lips, once beautiful, light pink, slowly turned purple and her eyes, so wide and begging for mercy, went emtpy.

Finally!

"Yes!" she exclaimed victoriously as she stood up and towered above the Archer's dead and motionless body. Then she looked around. Her army was as victorious as she. They held back the Avarosan armies, defending her back like she had done so many times before in the past. "YES!" she screamed again, voice filled with endless satisfaction. She finally killed her! She killed the one who stood in her way this whole time! Ashe's castle, her people – they all belonged to her! Finally her people will get what they deserve!

Her victorious yell seemed to stop the battle, and when they saw Ashe dead, the enemies lost all their will to fight and suppressing them was not a hard deal anymore. Without their leader, they seemed to surrender even without a fight.

_How pathetic, _Sejuani thought as she passed the captives. The heads of the diplomats would adorn the halls and the walls of her new castle. That thought, she declared all the political leaders to be either executed or thrown into the prison.

Sejuani looked around. It was a rare sight to see her smile, but now, with blood on the hands of a woman she despised the most, she was finally happy. The sufferings of her people ended, the foolish act of weakness would no longer rule this land. Her iron will would be the only thing that would keep people going and surviving in Freljord. Yes! "Tonight we celebrate!" she yelled at the gathered crowd that roared back at her.

_Tonight we celebrate. Enjoy your life while you can, Lissandra, for you are next! _


	2. Chapter 2

This castle was even more majestic and bigger from the inside, Sejuani admitted to herself as she and her pupils entered through the large doors. They all were welcomed by the warm air which was so uncommon and strange for them all. She couldn't even remember when was the last time she had slept in a room that had a soft bed and where she could actually take off the fur that usually kept her warm while moving around in the cold lands of Freljord.

The members of her clan were rather suspicious when it came to exploring their new home, but after getting used to this new climate and the victory, they all were so encouraged that they dropped their weapons and armory and began looking around.

Sejuani did not move from her spot, however. Her eyes darted from one member of the Winter's Claw to another, and she watched with small amusement how they examined things with such clumsy movements as if they were still children. Their coarse hands were not used with such gentle crafted arts such as expensive vases that decorated some of the column made of marble.

Her feelings were rather confused. Yes, this place would be good for her clan. The castle was big enough for everyone and with the applications here, they could heal the sick as well! All of her thoughts were rallying and instead of joining with those who were still looking around together, exploring every corner of the hall, she chose to walk alone and think.

Her feet soon brought her to the second floor of the castle. There, on the walls of the great and long corridor, hanged paintings that she had never seen in her life, nor did she ever imagine that people could paint in such realistic manner. She looked at the beautiful women, dressed in beautiful clothes and man, royal and handsome. She stopped when she reached the portrait of the three sisters. Avarosa, Serylda and Lissandra read the golden plate below the big picture and Sejuani stepped closer to admire the features of the three of them. They were all so beautiful, so peaceful and calm. All she could see was love from their eyes and they were so happy when they stood together there. She shook her head. At one point it was miserable that everything went this way, but the past could not be changed. Looking at the Avarosa again, Sejuani gasped loudly. In the pale face of the goddess, there she met Ashe's face with once beautiful glimmering eyes.

"What?" she hammered against the portrait. And, in the glimpse of the action, the haunting disappeared. Sejuani drew a deep breath and shook her head. No, she would not let emotions such as pity or mourn haunt her. She was the one who won and a Queen was not supposed to feel such emotions! Winter and the cold had taken away everything from her, now it was time to show her real strength!

Leaving the gallery, she surveyed the whole floor until she found Ashe's former bedroom. It was almost three times as big as her own. It was well furnished, but what got her attention was the huge bed right in the center of the room. Next to it was a large wardrobe and Sejuani stepped closer to it and opened the doors. From that she took out Ashe's dresses, all made of materials she did not even know the names of, and all so well crafted that she felt jealous for the woman who had worn them during her lifetime. Once the wardrobe was emptied, Sejuani took the liberty of taking off her own armor and then turning to look at herself in the mirror. Only by staring at her own reflection did she finally see how exhausted the woman really was. The circles under her eyes were so purple that they seemed blue, and her cheeks were sunken from the hunger and from the life long struggles. Regardless of that, her body was well built. She was quite strong and when she stretched her hands, she could see the muscles tense under the clothes. Sejuani smiled, admiring her own strength for a short moment before turning to look at the dresses. What should she do with them? It was clear that she would not wear any of those. Should she burn them? Hide them away? Give them to the ones who could not afford good clothes? As she stepped closer to examine the clothes again, she took notice that some of them were good enough to tolerate cold. Yes, she'd give certain things to the people who needed them most, and some of them would be given to the sewers. They'd craft something useful out of those.  
Her hands stopped when she found a long blue dress with a gorgeous golden necklace attached to it. On further examination, Sejuani noticed that on some parts there were also golden edges and the front was made as if it were some sort of a corset. She wrinkled her nose. Why did Ashe run around half naked when she had something like this to wear? It was even more appropriate for an archer of her class rather than this short shirt she wore earlier and the sleeveless top. She shook her head and closed her eyes. Now was not the time to think why the former queen even bothered to run around like that.

Sejuani looked around herself and stepped closer to the fireplace. The flames were so lively and it seemed to her that they'd be even happier if she'd feed the dress to them. Upon reaching out her hands, she looked at the cloth for the last time and frowned. It really was beautiful...

Reconsidering her idea, the queen put it back into the wardrobe and gathered all the other clothes. Currently she did not have the motivation to burn it. Yet.


	3. Chapter 3

They were feared.

She didn't have to look around to see or hear the whispers around her. The Winter's Claw went on a rampage on a very next day. The rule was simple. People either joined Sejuani's ranks and served under her rule, or they'd follow the steps of their former queen whose body was carried around in an open carriage, Sejuani herself riding her boar right before it.  
This whole parade was to remind all of them that nothing there was eternal. Ashe tried to handle everything with peace, and how did that turn up? Her cold body was now covered with snowflakes and the bow that Sejuani had thrown away moments before lunging at the archer's neck, was next to her. This damned bow could not be broken and looking at its history, she knew better not to mess with the weapon.

The pile of corpses grew with every hour. As Sejuani rode past the executioners, she could not stop but to admire their loyalty to their lost queen. She watched how men were decapitated, women impaled. Children, however, were left untouched. She knew better to show them mercy. They needed warriors and it was either force them into a work for her, or to force them into an exile later. Either way, she'd find a way how to get rid of those, who'd dare to oppose her.

She entered the castle only when the sun began setting. On the way to her new room, she avoided looking at the paintings, suddenly feeling paranoid for the preying eyes that were glued on her body when she passed by. As she entered the room, the maid had just prepared a warm bath for her. Thanking the young girl, she ordered her to leave before taking all the clothes off and climbing into the hot tube of water. Her skin reacted immediately. It turned bright pink upon the touch and she hissed loudly, but lowered herself regardless, forcing her mind into accepting something what she had desired most for years. A good, long and warm bath. Her body ached even more and it took quite a while until Sejuani was able to finally relax in the water. Closing her eyes, she hummed quietly. Yes, she could actually get used to it. Slowly, and suspecting the substance, she smelled the product first, and once she recognized an apple, her favorite fruit which she got only in the Institute of War, but never in Freljord, did she begin to wash herself. After spending at least half an hour in the bath, she climbed out and dried herself and looked at the mirror. Her white hair, that had been cut several months ago, had grown out again. She shrugged her shoulders and dropped the towel to replace it with some clothes. As she was sliding into the pants, she looked towards the wardrobe. The gown. Why did it disturb her so much? Or was it fear? No. The best way to conquer fear was to face it, she reminded herself before opening the doors and taking the dress. It felt even softer against her fingers now that they were so sensitive after the bath. Putting it on the bed, Sejuani ran her hand across it, enjoying its softness. It was only a dress, why did she fear it that much then? Sighing to herself, she shook her head in disbelief for her own stupidity. Removing her pants, she slid into the gown and blinked in surprise. It fitted her perfectly. If anything, it would have seemed that the designers made it just for her!

The mirror image looked beautiful, even with the hair not combed and messy in every aspect, she had to admit that even she could fit into the criteria of gorgeous women. Turning around, she laughed, and everything echoed back, but what she noticed was how empty her laughter sounded. It was only a sound that came when a bad thing developed into something good. A relieved one. The maid, who had heard the noise coming from the inside, knocked first and stepped in. Sejuani, as she turned around, saw that the girl was surprised to see a barbarian like her dressed like that. There was a moment of silence before she gathered her emotions:"what are you staring at? Get this thing out of here." the girl was obedient and did what she was asked. Soon Sejuani was left alone again and she sat on the bed. Much to her surprise, she began sinking in it and for a moment her mind was possessed by panic, but then she realized that it was only a mattress and with a quiet chuckle, the Winter's Wrath threw herself completely on the bed and then turned herself around, lying now on her belly. The bed was soft and warm and she crawled closer to the pillows, grabbing and hugging them.

She felt like a child again, especially during the days when she knew nothing of cold and the death it had caused. She remembered the fur pillows and blankets in their tent. Everything seemed better during those days and right now she felt relatively close to that. She was safe, no one would die from the frost and she would take care of her people like she promised!

She will unite the Freljord!

The smell that filled her nostrils was soft and fresh. Sejuani buried her face deeper into the blanket, letting the warmth embrace her suddenly fragile body. "Are you feeling comfortable?" asked someone. She nodded to herself, too sleepy and tired to look up and see who it was. The voice, though, was very familiar. "I was very fond of this bed too, you see..." continued the voice quietly. Sejuani said nothing, only snuggled deeper into the pillow, hoping to be left alone. Someone's fingers touched her short hair and caressed her head gently. "This is the room where I spent most of my childhood. I studied here, painted, cared about my people and loved them..."

She opened her eyes to realize that her body had been turned towards the ceiling and she looked straight up. Turning her head a bit, Sejuani's eyes went wide as she saw Ashe's figure sitting on the side of the bed, looking at her with a sad smile. "And I..."

"You what?" hissed Sejuani, getting up on her knees. "I killed you! You can't be here!" She reached out her hand towards the figure, but it simply passed Ashe's delicate features, making her vibrate oddly before she appeared in another place, right in front of her.  
"You did," responded she with a calm voice, but she could read sadness out if it. Sejuani swallowed. Suddenly breathing was hard and the room, which was so warm only moments ago, felt as cold as the nights outside of the castle. She made another attempt to scare the ghost away, but it seemed that she was unsuccessfully boxing against the air, and even this one had better winning chances than she. The alive one sighed. "What do you want?" she finally inquired.

Ashe's eyes glistered in the darkness as she leaned closer to the new Queen. Sejuani could even smell her breath and her body. She smelled just the way the sheets did. Fresh and sweet, but suddenly she felt sickened by all that. "I came here to warn you," said the Avarosan ghost. "By killing me you signed up your own death contract."  
Sejuani rolled her eyes and turned her back to the ghost. "Mind you, I am still the one alive."  
"Not for long if you decide to ignore me further," insisted Ashe. She appeared right at her face, and in order to suppress her scream, short haired woman pressed her lips together and breathed through her nose. "I came here to warn you. In less than a minute men will march in through your door and try to assassinate you." Sejuani looked at the door, feeling even colder than before. Then she looked back to the bed, but the ghost was gone and so was the last advice. In less than a minute her assassins would march in. How many of them were there? And who were those men? Thinking fast, and cursing that she did not have Bristle nor anyone else here, Sejuani quietly jumped off the bed and in confusion, hid herself behind the dark and heavy curtains right when the door was broken and the arrows pierced the pillows and the sheets on the bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Sejuani was holding her breath while she listened to the curses of the men who discovered she was not in the bed after all. According to the voices, they were none of her camp which meant those people were Ashe's followers. Their loyalty was admirable. Even after their queen's death, they wanted vengeance on her for making them suffer like this. Would she wield her flail, she would attack them immediately. As a woman who was forged in the cold and ice, she had fought more men than those who attempted to assassinate her, but without weapons she could not rely on her brute strength. She was tired, sleepy and with the dress she wore, she had zero protection. This was one of those many cases when she wondered how some females were capable of wearing nothing but bikini in the battle. The most important parts such as chest, hands, back, stomach and neck were not concealed from the incoming attacks and, knowing how brutal some of the warriors could be, the lack of armor would not always lead to immediate kill, especially if the opponent was a female, but also rape which was not unusual.

She did not know how long she had been standing there, but she knew the same thing as the assassins: would they stay there longer, that would probably awaken some curiosity in those who served Sejuani. Loud voices already gave them away and the only thing they could do was flee through the door. As they did so, the Queen hesitated behind the curtains, staring at the material.

Cheating death was nothing usual, especially when you were a chieftain of a Clan that was hated by many or when you lived in a place where getting food or being hunted was a lifestyle. It was either do or die in Freljord, and she had to remind herself that this was over for her people now. With Ashe dead and her kingdom and castle in Sejuani's hands, she planned to change the future and the ways people lived.  
Her plan was to make a new order, probably affiliate herself with Noxus and with the help of some professionals develop the army so that they would defeat Lissandra. Losing was not an option.

"_You are not going to succeed,"_ she heard a familiar voice in the back of her head. It was the fallen queen again. Sejuani looked around, almost cautious to see her somewhere near, but the ghost never appeared. Instead the company was forced into her head. _"Lissandra is far more powerful than you will ever be. If you declare a war against her, she will kill you, your clan and my people."_

Sejuani rolled her eyes. Even the thought of being defeated by an ice witch was not tolerable. No, she would not follow the warning and she take any steps necessary to unite the Freljord under her iron rule. _"You are blind," _retorted Ashe to her thoughts. _"How can you not see? I am trying to help you!"  
_There was silence for a moment. The woman shook her head. "Go away," she gritted her teeth. This voice... she imagined this all. Stepping out from behind the heavy curtains, she heard the voice sigh in her head. "I do not care what else you have to say. You are dead, there is nothing left for you in this world. Leave me."  
She was surprised by the way her own voice sounded so calm even though she was beyond irritated now. She stepped out into the corridor, observing the surroundings. There was no trace of those who had intruded into her room only moments ago. Only goblets illuminated the dark and long corridors with those ghostly paintings she tried to neglect each time. Removing them, all of them, was something she could not do for some reason. Simply the thought of having this place without those big frames was scaring her. Why? She did not know herself.  
Carefully, Sejuani made first steps towards the stairs, listening to every sound she could, but the only thing that she heard was her heart beating so loudly in her ears, that she could swear she'd become deaf soon. After investigating the corridors on her own, with an old sword which was obviously meant as a decoration on a wall, Sejuani realized that no one was there and the assassins were long gone. Sighing, she lowered the weapon from the attacking stance and examined it. The sword was well forged, but the metal was not good enough for a battle. To her it was odd to craft something which was useless and could only be viable as a souvenir.

The cold embraced her as she went downstairs, shivering slightly. The guards were there, following her orders and completing their duty. Everything was quiet and peaceful and it was obvious that those men could not have come through the front door. It was more of her way to declare a war. She found the chief of the commanding forces and told him to scout the forest and the surroundings of the castle.

"_This won't help," _the voice in the middle of the conversation. Sejuani ignored Ashe. "There are now only two things you need to do. Send someone to change my sheets and gather at least fifteen men who will go to an expedition with her into a forest. These lands were strange and if the guards would not find anything, she certainly would.

She did not go back to the bedroom anymore for paranoia of being attacked again while being so vulnerable did not leave her. Instead she found her way to the well kept library. The great hall was filled with magical lanterns that illuminated every corner of the room and the giant shelves, all seemingly made of ice, were filled with different books. The stairs, which were on the other side, seemed to lead up to the sky where she would be greeted in another dimension and a whole different life.

Sejuani knew how to read and write. This was an essential part of her childhood. Her father himself was "educated", if that was a right term to describe a man who knew how to draw maps, mark them and even read. Sadly, with war raging, she had no time to spend evenings in a comfortable room with a fireplace and a nice book. Instead, she spent her evenings sharpening blades and cleaning the weapons. And, of course, discussing with Bristle, even though the boar did not get her messages in most of the cases.  
She scrolled through the library, not taking any books, but simply taking notice of their pure existence, suddenly wondering what sort of books Ashe had been reading here, if she had touched them at all. Although they looked so clean, they also appeared to be old and barely touched. Perhaps she inherited those? Carefully, trying not to break anything, especially with her hands that were molded to crush, she touched the frame of the staircase. It was cold, but smooth and as she investigated it closely, she could see old runes and snowflakes crafted into this beautiful piece of art. Slowly she began her journey towards the skies, not even sure what expected her there. The stairs lead her to the ceiling positioned high. Upon reaching it, Sejuani immediately noticed a small door but as she tried to open it, it became clear that she needed a key for that. Trying to use her raw strength first, she failed and decided to return to this place later. Why would she need to climb on a roof anyway?

Sejuani spent a night in the room across the hall, and when she woke up, she felt fresh, but tired regardless. The maid, the same one from the night before, was the one who woke her and brought breakfast on a silver plate. During her breakfast, she decided to do some arrangements concerning the funerals of the archer. "It is said that Ashe found her bow in an old Avarosan burial place?"  
"Yes, your highness," responded the maid, eyes on the floor. She pushed the curtains aside, letting the light of the sun into the room.  
"Do you know where it is?" inquired Sejuani. The bowl of hot soup was now set aside and she looked at the girl who nodded shyly. "Is it far away? How long would the journey take from here to that place?"  
"A-about three hours, your highness." The new queen nodded and climbed out of the bed. She had no appetite anymore. Instead, her thoughts were racing at such a speed that as she tried to collect her things, the maid had to help her for she kept dropping everything. Suddenly she turned around to face her younger companion who, at the glance, froze on the spot, holding all the items tight against her small chest. "What is your name?"  
The girl was quiet and Sejuani had to urge her to speak, her tone already impatient. The less time they spent, the better. When girl finally revealed it, the leader nodded:"Alright Elyon. I want you to go and prepare yourself for you are going to show me where that old burial place is. I also want you to gather all the women who are experienced in embalming. Once that is done, call me and we shall discuss the matters further." Elyon, surprised by such orders, left the room, leaving Sejuani finally alone. She finished her breakfast and began walking in circles in her room. What she was about to do was simply an act of respect and thankfulness. Only thanks to the archer's ghost she was alive and the last thing she could do to the woman was to put her to rest in a most grateful manner she knew. Offering the former queen a funeral and keeping her in a tomb that would keep her body the way it was before dying was a good way to show her respect, she thought.

She dressed herself up, this time putting on her casual armor and she waited for Elyon to return, which happened fifteen minutes later. The women whom she had gathered were all waiting for Sejuani in the great dining hall. From there she led them all into the cellar where lay Ashe's body. Even in the dim light she looked as beautiful as before. Her hair, although messy from the constant carrying around, was still silky and beautiful and Sejuani resisted an urge to reach out her hand and caress it. Keeping her back towards the women, she collected herself. "I want you to do what ever it takes so that her body would survive any conditions in the ground. Make sure her body will remain the way it is and... Elyon, bring her dress. I want her to be buried in it."  
Women, all surprised by this course of action, began doing what they were asked and Elyon rushed to Ashe's room only to return in a bit with the beautiful gown in her hands. While the body was cleaned, washed, her hair combed, Sejuani stood there, in the shadows, hands crossed on her chest and eyes glued on the pale face of an archer. Suddenly she wished for the voice to appear in her head again, but instead there was silence. All she could hear were the quiet mumblings of the ladies who passed the quills and towels from hand to hand. The embalming process itself didn't last long, nor was it tiring, but casting the magical spells and drawing runes on the table to keep the body safe from all the conditions had its tolls on some of the women. As Sejuani was finally allowed to step closer, she gasped quietly from the sight of the beautiful corpse. There, on the table in front of her, lay the real queen herself, hair beautifully combed and on her shoulders; lips painted light pink and look on her face ever so peaceful. The only things that disturbed Sejuani were the blue marks on Ashe's neck and she gave an order to conceal those too with either paint or a scarf or something. "Go and rest now," she said to the others and before she left the cellar, she looked over her shoulder at Elyon:"go and tell Ruen to meet me at the armory. And do it fast."


	5. Chapter 5

Ruen, a tall, well built man from the Winter's Claw clan entered the armory. Like the other soldiers under his command, almost every inch of his body was covered in metal and fur to conceal the cold from getting into his bones. He placed his gigantic sword against the wall and looked around in the armory, obviously surprised to see that only Sejuani and a servant girl were there, both dressed in a similar way as he. Then, out of his duty and respect, Ruen knelt before the queen and bowed his head:"your orders?"  
"Stand up," responded she, removing her own helmet and placing it on the table, next to many other weapons and shields. "I want you to join me for an expedition."  
Ruen's thick eyebrows arched:"An expedition?" Sejuani nodded, continuing:"there have been several things which have gotten... attention. Last night there was an assassination attempt but," she paused to silence the man who was about to say something. The look on his face remained concerned and disturbed:"but it failed, as you can see. I've already sent scouts to look through the castle and the surroundings, but this is not why I invited you here. I want you to come with me to a funeral."  
"Funeral, your highness?" asked he, tone suddenly curious. "But we've already burned those who fell on the battlefield. Even the bodies of the executed have been removed!"  
"No, not their funeral. I want to offer Ashe a proper burial." Ruen looked even more confused and he said nothing, not entirely sure how to feel or think about it. In their clan they rarely offered such respect to their opponents. Once they raided the villages, they did not look back nor did they concern themselves with the thoughts about the deceased. Sejuani waited patiently for him to ask more questions, but she could see that the warrior was dealing with a dilemma. As there was silence, she decided to continue:"What I want you to do is to come with me and Elyon, and other men and women to the burial and act as my guard and right hand there."  
Ruen bowed his head again, surprised of such honor and offer. "As we have already spilled more blood than necessary, I need you to gather at least twenty men who would come and act as retinue. Can you do that?" He responded with a nod and Sejuani looked at Elyon:"Also, I want you to make Ashe's burial public. Announce it so that anyone who wishes to pay her their last respects are welcomed to do so. As for now, you are free to go. I want you and your men meet me tomorrow morning at ten in the front yard."

After leaving the armory, Sejuani gave orders to build a proper coffin for the archer, sent out people to the commoners to help Ruen to spread the word about the funeral and then she followed Elyon around who showed her the surroundings of the castle and some of the rooms inside. As it was cold where they were going, Sejuani felt like it was a good idea to actually wear her armor instead of those gowns.

"This is the royal garden," said the young maid as they approached a giant gate. Upon closer investigation, Sejuani saw it was not even locked, so she stepped in, looking around in awe. The garden, although neglected and old, was gorgeous in its abandoned and ancient beauty. The water fountains, that were long ago frozen, stood there like light blue statues made of stone and covered with little white puffs taken from the skies. The trees, never having their chance to spread their branches and let their leaves or fruits blossom, were bended under the ferocious cold. Their footsteps were loud and crunchy as both of the women walked deeper into the magical kingdom of ice. There were benches around, but none of them were used as places where one would sit and relax for more than two minutes. They approached one of the fountains standing in the middle of them all, and looked at it. It was even more beautiful from close, thought Sejuani, as she stared at the snowflakes that were engraved into the stone and filled with small, white powder which glistered in the light like snow. She ran her fingers across the cold, smooth surface, shivering simply from the silky touch of it. It was obvious that Ashe was aware of this place and she wondered suddenly how much time did the archer spend here? It was so silent, so neglected and peaceful. Looking at her companion, she noticed that Elyon did not experience similar emotions such as she, and Sejuani decided to inquire about it. "The garden was made public long time ago," responded the maid as she looked around in the frozen palace. "Anyone who wanted to visit this place was free to do so."  
Oddly enough, this was something Sejuani wanted to change. Of course it was a sight to behold, but not for every preying eye. "Do you know when it was built?"  
"No, your highness. I only know it has been here for over a century." Nodding in response, she continued looking around and began walking in the circles, wishing to see every hidden corner and secret it held.

By the time they returned into the castle, they had observed the near by forest, Elyon introduced her to the areas where hunting was easier due to the animals constantly coming there to find food. Sejuani went back to her room, casually ordering a hot bath for herself and then she took off the clothes and slipped into a house coat. While she waited for everything to get ready, she looked outside from her window. She could even see the forgotten garden from there, although only a small part of it was visible. Perhaps forbidding the others to enter it was not necessary? She had not seen any commons who would dare to step over the bridge to come and rebel against her and the clan. Was it a good or a bad thing?

_That's a bad thing.  
_"And you're still here..."

_People are to love their kings and queens, not fear them. If they do not trust you, if they do not love you, how are you supposed to rule over them? How will you offer them what they want? Do you even care of their needs?_

"They are weak if they can not help themselves."  
_Sometimes offering help to those who are weak is not a crime. Do not confuse mercy for weakness.  
_"You did, and where are you now, Ashe?" retorted Sejuani, looking around. The maids who were preparing her bath did not look up; they didn't even seem to be listening to her own quiet rabbling. "You showed mercy on the battlefield, you did not kill any men who opposed you! You showed them mercy, and now you are dead! Was it the way you wanted your life to end? To prove that even when your neck is being hanged by the rope, you forgive the killer?"  
_Yes. And perhaps you should learn from that! Violence does not always solve everything, nor is it an answer. I only want you to help my people, keep them alive, let them live and protect them. That is all I ask for you.  
_Sejuani bit her lip, holding her own burst of emotions behind. Again she thought of her own family. Her brothers and sisters died one by one and she had to be there and look at their burials. Where was help then? Before her, their clan was as neglected as the winter garden that stood there in its victorious beauty, yet unseen by so many.  
"Your highness?" came a quiet voice from behind, waking Sejuani from her thoughts. Turning around, she noticed that the steaming bath was ready and she ordered everyone to leave. Dropping the clothing on the floor, she climbed into the hot tub and closed her eyes, hissing quietly from both pain and warmth her body was so suddenly engulfed in.

_What made you into what you are now?  
_"You are the one in my head, can't you see?"  
_I am in your head, yes, but I am only a phantom. Your memories, thoughts, emotions – they are all strange and far away from me.  
_Sejuani slid deeper into the water until her whole body except for the neck and face were showing on the surface. "Reality. Unlike you, we had to fight to survive. Food, water and other supplies have always been limited."  
_And yet you refused to unite our forces when I offered you all those things!  
_"Accepting something like that from an enemy is an act of weakness. A desperate call of survival. We were doing well enough without your try to make yourself look like some sort of a saint. You and I both know its not true."  
_It's not... We have never been enemies, Sejuani. You were the one who decided to charge at me after I offered you peace and comfortable lives.  
_"Comfortable lives!? You have spoiled your people! They do not know how to survive in the cold, how to fight nor how to live without being dictated how to do so. You and your ancestors have turned fighters into mush. They are worthless now." After these words Sejuani could feel an assault in her head, almost breaking her skull. Gasping her air, she shook her head and gritted her teeth.  
_Do not dare to insult my people! Yes, we are different, our goals and ideals are different, but that does not mean My people are weaker than yours! Indeed, we have warmth, food and supplies, but what do your people have? Before this battle, you were on the edge of extinction! How many men and women are alive there now? You need to agree that at least half of those people would have not died if only you had accepted my offer of peace. Those deaths, Sejuani, the heartless monsters you created – their lives are all on your hands, their blood, their souls – everything! Do you see strength in that, Sejuani? Do you? Letting them die one by one only because of your own proclaimed ideals? You are the weakest segment here, not any of us, and you are a coward.  
_"You dare to insult me? I am not weak! You were weak by thinking that peace was a way to solve something. Let me remind you where did that put you again? You are the one who is getting buried and who will stay in that frozen tomb, not me!" She almost expected the answer to come, even the hit against her head again, but instead her voice echoed against the walls of the room and everything was silent. Ashe was gone. Sejuani gritted her teeth again and dipped her head into the water. Only because she was a woman of her word did she keep in mind to deal with the funeral tomorrow. Otherwise she would have thrown Ashe's body down a hill or cut it in pieces and fed it to her people. Let them feed on a good example of weakness.

When the morning came and she was greeted by the twenty requested men, Sejuani mounted her bristle and with Ruen on her right hand and Elyon behind, they left the castle. Like she expected, she saw many people following their odd parade towards the old burial ground. Ashe was made as beautiful as she had asked. In one hand she was holding her bow and on the other one a bag full of arrows. Much to her surprise, she saw many men and women from other cities as well, such as Demacia. She was not certain how the word of Ashe's death passed that fast, but seeing them all coming all the Freljord just to bid their last good byes was impressive.  
The parade lasted for more than an hour and once they reached their destination, Sejuani stood by the side of the frozen tomb when Ruen and his allies lifted the rune stone to place Ashe inside the dark grave. They kept the hole open for quite a while, allowing people to look at the beautiful queen for the last time. She had to agree, Ashe looked astonishing even while being dead in her crown and that beautiful dress of hers. She jumped off of Bristle and stepped closer to the grave. Her chest felt heavy and painful. "Suddenly everyone loves you when you're six feet underground."


	6. Chapter 6

In the following hours she noticed how people treated her with a bit more respect than earlier. They followed their troops back towards the town and the castle, no one uttering a word, Ashe's followers mourning the loss of their leader in silence. Sejuani was only looking ahead, thinking of the last night's argument she had with the archer. Although she did not want to admit it, she knew that the truth was right there – she was the one responsible for so many deaths of the innocent people, and not only in her clan, but also the strangers. But her actions were all for a reason. Only the strong can survive in Freljord and she wanted to lead an army of strong people who would not tremble at any danger in their wake.  
Cut from the ice, shaped in the storms and hardened in the wind. That was her motto and that was the motto her clan followed. She lifted her chin and looked around. Ruen was near by; his face was showing no emotions related to sadness or mourning. He was a strong warrior, one of the best. He had fought next to Sejuani for years and never turned his back on her. Would he not have a wife and a good son, she would view him as a potential husband material. They were relatively similar in their looks as well. Both had light blue eyes, light hair and their facial features rarely expressed any other emotions than rage when they rode to battle. But Ruen was more calculative than she. He possessed a brilliant mind of a tactician and strategist. Only thanks to his plans and ideas were they able to reach the Avarosan camp without being noticed by the rogues and with his lead the army came victorious.  
Then there were his troops: men of good background and loyal to the bone. They were like the old soldiers from some folk tale. They followed Sejuani and Ruen to the very depths of hell and would return from there alive. They were silent and, of course, all deep in their own thoughts but yet alerted should anything happen to their parade.

And on her right there was this young maid, Elyon, who was trembling on the horse and looking around, as if scared that something bad might happen. Her body was fragile, something that Sejuani could break with one swing of her flail. She had a long hair, also white, but it had some sort of odd reddish glow. The girls cheeks were pinched by the cold and her eyes, like her hair, also had some red in them. For she had never seen anything like that in her life, she found herself quite mesmerized by this oddity, but said nothing on the matter. In some extent, Elyon even reminded her of the gone archer. Both had determined look in their eyes, and both wanted something bigger. _What are her origins?  
_She half expected Ashe to respond to that question, but instead there was silence and Sejuani sighed. Perhaps, when she buried her body, she also set her soul free and she was finally resting. Although the thought of it was relatively positive, she felt empty and sad. Perhaps her voice was what linked her to the past? Now, with her restless thoughts going on a rampage, she did not know where to seek shelter.

By the time they arrived into the castle, it was already dark outside and the torches were lit on the streets and on the houses. People around them left for their houses and Sejuani entered the castle, where she was greeted by one of the commanding officers. "Your highness," said he, bowing before the boar. "We have found a spy on our lands."  
"A spy?" She jumped off Bristle and nodded:"lead the way."  
Ruen was immediately following her. "A spy?" he wondered loudly. "What sort of a man would dare to intrude into our territory?"  
"That's no man," responded the officer as he guided them down into the dungeons. Already from there they could hear some quiet speech. As they finally entered a cell where something lay on the table, Sejuani sighed, amazed. "A troll..."  
"Yes, your majesty."  
They stepped closer. The being was barely breathing. His weapon, which was a huge bat made of wood, was relying against a wall. Sejuani looked at it, noticing that the body had no blood on it. "What happened to it?"  
"When we found him, he tried to poison himself."  
"And...?"  
"He swallowed half of this," said one of the men, offering Sejuani a tiny crystal like pill that was half eaten. "We don't know what it is, but it appears to be deadly for he fell into a coma like stance and has not woken up yet."  
"When did you find him?" interrogated Sejuani further. She took off her helmet and leaned closer, ear almost touching the troll's mouth. She could feel his breath, but only barely. She listened to his heart beats as well, but like breathing, they were very slow, almost silent.  
"This morning right after you left the castle, your highness."  
This morning? She thought, pulling herself away from the creature. "And did you see the others? How many of them were there?"  
"We didn't see many of them, only tracks. Some of the men went to follow them and we also found this when some escaped..." Sejuani was handed a small sheet of paper with an order to spy on her allies and the castle. The signature was strange to her, but the clear hint as to who was the original mastermind of the plan was clear and obvious. Lissandra was the only one who had the power over the trolls. They were quite obedient if they really went that far just to fulfill her orders and leave one behind. She looked at the paper and said no words. If her assumptions were correct, then the ice witch was spying on them and prepared herself for the battle. After Ashe's death, Lissandra was next on Sejuani's plate, obviously those words had reached the witch and now the playground was for both of them. War. She could already feel adrenaline rushing through her veins only from thinking of the bloodshed and the picture of her finally killing her final rival and ruling over Freljord. "Your orders?" It was Ruen who spoke. He stood next to her, staring at the woman who put the paper on the table, next to the troll, and smiled.  
"Start preparing. As soon as our troops will return from the scouting tour, I want someone to go and see how far away the troll camps are and the number of them."

After fifteen minutes of arranging things and thinking of plans, Sejuani was happy when she found herself standing alone in the big room, back towards the fireplace and the flames, and eyes set outside of the dark window. She could see the northern lights from there and she had to admit that the sight was beautiful. Before she had no time to admire such things. It was surprising to realize how many interesting things Freljord held. The only saddening fact was that she did not pay attention to those things before she had to force herself into an adulthood. Memories of her hard childhood began slowly circulating in her head, but none of them were enjoyable. Every day was a struggle and nothing was served to her on a silver plate. The pain of burying her older brothers and sisters one by one and finally ending up the lone survivor made her into what she was now. It was either do or die and giving up was not an option.

_I see now..._

"I thought I buried you along with that body of yours," responded Sejuani quietly, although this time she was not entirely mad for Ashe to interfere her thoughts. In fact it was better than submitting to the memories of her past and letting them drive her to the edge of misery. "What do you want?"

_I want to let you know that you did a big mistake today._

This struck her like a blow in the gut. She had made a mistake? "Is that so?"

_You declared war against Lissandra._

"This war has been going on for ages now."

_Yes, but now, with you sending out your scouts who invade her property, this is a clear invitation to her. This is a challenge and you can not face her alone. Your men against the trolls she has power over are useless. _

"You dare-"

_Face the reality, Sejuani. Trolls are five times stronger than the best men of your clan. You need something else, something bigger to win this war._

"Oh yes? And what would that be?"

_Peace._

"Peace? And where did that lead you? After becoming a victim of your own ideals and being targeted by the stronger ones, you still believe that Peace is what leads us to a better world? People have lived with peace, Ashe, and where did that lead them? To war, because none of us can stay away from killing one another for long. It is in our nature to destroy ourselves, no matter what."

There was a small pause, as if the voice in her head was actually considering the words warrior had just said. Sejuani knew it was true. War was in their nature, no matter what. _We are sisters, _she finally spoke up again, voice sorrowful. _Freljord... It is shattered yes, and we stand strong when we are united, but this is how this is supposed to be. Here should not be only one leader, Sejuani, and I hope you understand this. Freljord was divided by three sisters once, and it will remain so till the end of the time. Even if you will win the war, there will be someone who will come to take you down. You will never live to see your children grow up, not to speak of giving birth to any of them if you continue with your mission.  
Lissandra will defeat you, she will crush your whole clan and destroy everything you once knew or loved. I know you are not as dumb or emotionless as other suppose you are; I know you love your land despite its terrors and harshness, it has formed you into what you are, but you need to understand that there is no way this will end the way you desire. Your victory will only be short, believe me.  
Even if Lissandra will win, she will face the same fate. Freljord was never meant to hold only one queen. It's meant to hold three of us – sisters, the ones who inherited the land from the ancestors!_

By the time she had finished, Sejuani had moved away from the window and sat on the warm and soft bed. Even, once again, if she did not wish to admit anything. And yet, desire to live longer than Ashe had predicted was strong, but not as strong as her pride. "You have forgotten only one small detail - you are dead," she reminded the woman in her head. Harsh, but true. "That leads to only one conclusion now: Freljord, no matter how hard you try, can not be saved. Me and Lissandra will have this final battle and see who will rule over this land!"

_Sejuani, I pray, listen to reason – listen to me! There is a way to stop this all! I know! Please, we only need to do few things and then peace and balance will be restored. If you really love your people, if you truly care about your clan and their lives, I promise you – nothing bad will happen to them if you listen to them. I beg you, Sejuani, as my last will, do as I say and prevent the chaos that is about to rule over the land! _Ashe cried, voice desperate and begging.  
The queen frowned in despair. She loved her clan, it was her life and sacrificing them all in a battle was a thing she never wanted to do, but there was so much they could do! They could defeat Lissandra, they could defeat her army of trolls. She had to believe in herself. And yet, she felt she owed that much to Ashe. Her life was saved only thanks to her. "Alright, tell me what I need to do. Remember, this is your last will and I shall do no more favors to you. Your body is laid to rest and you should leave my mind alone. After I do what I am told, you agree to relieve me from your presence, agreed?"

The sudden feeling of relief washed through her mind as if it was hers and Ashe responded: _Thank you Sejuani. First, we need to gather a few people. There is someone I have not seen in a while. Also... this girl Elyon, I want you to carry her around for a little while. I need her._

"This better work out for your own sake."

_Trust me. _


	7. Chapter 7

Sacrifices.  
Although Sejuani was not a believer, although she knew of many rituals where lives were sacrificed as casually as changing one's clothing, and though it was a powerful tool, especially when it came to showing one's appreciation or respect towards gods and spirits, the word left a strange taste on her tongue as if she had just swallowed something bitter and drank salty water on top of it.

Overall spilling blood for a better cause did not bother Sejani, but the fact that her own had to be in this one was a bit bothering. And not only. The ritual also required a vessel, a living body that would carry the spirit of Ashe inside, and the blood of the loved one. She already had a potential vessel for the archer's soul, but the fact that she had to use Tryndamere for this was simply more than disturbing. She did not kill the man, although her desires were to act according to her thoughts. Instead the barbarian was kept in a well hidden and protected prison where they could interrogate and inspect the rage that possessed the man. However, lately, he had acted rather numbly, as if he had accepted the death of his beloved one and finally realizing there was nothing for him. That was correct, of course. With Sejuani soon ruling over Freljord, Tryndamere was only a needle in the eye and those who would bring trouble had to meet their ends.

"I promised," she gritted her teeth as she quietly followed the guards who led her through the old and cold passageways into the dungeons. There were many other men and women, mostly rebels who tried to protest against her rule. Not looking towards them, not even when they threw their things, punched the walls or spit towards her, Sejuani's aim was only ahead. "This better work. For your lover's sake."

No one paid attention to her mumbling. Actually the guards did all they could to defend her from the dirty missiles that were flying towards her so paying attention to her quiet words was almost impossible. Finally they all stopped and she laid her eyes on the barbarian; a man who once was a warrior and now a simple wretch of a mortal core. His hands were tied and shackled up, his dark long hair messy and beard overgrown. According to the smell, no one has cleaned his cell for quite a while, nor did Tryndamere seem to be bothered with any of that. He just was. And to Sejuani he seemed even more pathetic than she had imagined.

In her head she could hear Ashe's voice, a low sigh when she saw her dearest in his lowest. _What have you done to him? You keep him like an animal._

"He is no better than an animal," retorted the queen, getting few grunts in response as if she had just told them a good joke at a funeral. But, humiliating the barbarian right now was not an option. If she really wanted to get the order into her hands, defeat or exile Lissandra and somehow grasp the power from Ashe, that task was worth it. "Open the door."

"But your-"  
"I said," Sejuani turned her cold blue eyes towards the guard who stood next to the iron door:" .Door."

Still surprised of this strange and sudden order, the man did what he was told and Sejuani stepped into the cell, coughing quietly from the aura and the surroundings.

_Tryndamere... _She could feel how Ashe wanted to reach out her hands and hers almost moved as well, but she was able to contain herself in this strange set of emotions. Instead she knelt down a looked at his face. He was asleep so, in order to get his attention, she first shook his shoulder and then slapped his face, getting a raspy, surprised grunt in response. His eyes then suddenly opened and as he saw who was sitting in front of him, Tryndamere immediately attempted to attack her, but was held back by the shackles and chains. "You bitch!" he swore at her, spitting on the ground right at her feet. "Cowardly whore! Release me and you will regret the day you were born."  
Again, raising her hand, she hit the barbarian in the face, feeling something wet on her knuckles. It was his blood. She had hit him straight into his dry lip, but Tryndamere showed no emotions that would show pain or fear or anything of that sort. He stared at her with a vengeful glare. "You will be digging your own grave-"

"That's so nice and everything, but I have an offer for you first."  
"There is nothing I want to do with you."  
Negotiating with people was one of her weaknesses. She did not like trying to convince them into cooperation with her, nor was she the type of a woman who would beg someone. And yet his blood sacrifice had to be willing. "What if I tell you Ashe is alive and she needs you?"  
"Bullshit." Tryndamere's voice broke as he shook his head. Of course he knew it was a lie. She had slaughtered the love of his life right before his own eyes by strangling the woman with her own bare hands.

Sejuani looked at her fingers. Before she could even say anything, the barbarian interfered this time:"I will not fall for your deceit. Go and kill yourself."  
Gritting her teeth together, she attempted to speak with Tryndamere more, even using some of the hints that Ashe whispered to her, but nothing worked. None of the words she said were convincing enough, however they only enraged him to the extent where he began struggling against the chains and eventually breaking them. Sejuani did not notice that first, but when he reached out his hands, eyes red and full of hate, and his irony fingers grasped towards her neck was she smart enough to step back. The guards acted immediately and forced him down. While they were trying to replace the shackles, Sejuani stood quietly aside, listening to Tryndamere's raging, Ashe's cries in her head and thinking her own thoughts. If she really wanted to orm a balance where her rule would be the main, she had to use his blood, but how would he come with her willingly? Convincing him with the most tender words she knew did not work, nor did the words dictated by Ashe have any effect on him. He only thought that she was manipulating with him before executing the man. For some reason she believed that this was what Tryndamere expected the most. He wished to be reunited with his wife.

"That's it," she finally said, snapping with her fingers. If he really wished to die, if he had attacked her in hopes of the guards killing him while trying to separate those two, she had to promise she would reunite them. In the same burial place! This plan seemed so flawless to her that she did not wish to wait for any longer. When Tryndamere was finally locked up again, she stepped closer to the man, as if wishing to provoke him further. "I will take you to Ashe," she finally said, looking straight into his blue orbs. "If you still love her the way you did when she was alive, you will accept this offer. I will reunite you and bury you next to her."

Tryndamere did not respond anyhow; silence was overwhelming to Sejuani. For some reason she feared that the man would reject her proposal this time as well. He had done so far, but what she offered him this time was far more better than she could have thought of before. She would not give him a part of her kingdom simply for participating in her plot, nor would she set him free. Tryndamere, as of now, was a mentally challenged man and as a leader who held her life dear, she did not wish to die from a simple vengeance. Strange. It seemed that love was a powerful tool indeed, and once the once strong barbarian nodded, agreeing to do as she wished, but only if she would reunite them in the end, she left the cell, telling the guards to clean the prison.

_You can not do that!_

Ashe's voice was again so desperate when it echoed in Sejuani's head as the queen walked down the long and cold hallways to reach her second target. The vessel. "I can and I will."  
_I beg you, Sejuani, not him! Do not kill him, help him instead!_

"Listen here, dead lovebird. Your husband does not want to live anymore. I killed you and there is no point for him to survive any longer. He is the last of his kind and he has finally accepted his fate. Get over it, soon you two can go on a nice long vacation and leave my head alone."

_You don't understand!_

"I think I understand perfectly. You want him to live, I want him to die, but since the power over his life is in my hands, I will do what I promised to. I will reunite you and finally there will be silence."

_You don't understand, _the archer repeated again: _once you kill him, my soul shall not be at rest. I will stay in your head forever, Sejuani, but... but you are a good leader and if there is anything I am more concerned of, its my husband than my kingdom. Please!_

"I do what I must to complete the ritual."

_Sejuani, I beg of you! Please! Are you as heartless as Lissandra? _

The Winter's Wrath suddenly stopped and looked around, as if searching for someone, but that someone was inside her head, haunting and taunting her. "Don't you dare to compare me to that witch! She is as good as dead now!"

_But you know the truth – she is more powerful than you._

"Shut up. You say that now."

Ashe did not respond after that and Sejuani sighed from relief when silence fell again. She did not bother knocking on the door when she had finally reached the maid's quarters. Stepping in into the large room, she was immediately gazed upon by so many eyes that she began feeling odd as a result of it. Forcing the unwanted emotions all to the back of her head, she straightened up. "Elyon," she said, voice probably too quiet for anyone to hear. Silence was painful. "Elyon," Sejuani repeated herself, this time louder, voice raspy and cold. The girl to whom she called for raised from one chair and awkwardly approached her leader.

"Rise," muttered Sejuani when the girl bowed before her. "Now come with me."


	8. Chapter 8

Elyon was more than surprised when she was summoned like that by Sejuani and her emotions were clear on the pale face of hers. The leader, however, did not bother to share the details just yet. They rushed together through the empty hallways, passing servants on the way. Finally, much to Elyon's surprise, they ended up in Sejuani's room.  
"Take this," said the queen, throwing warm clothes at the girl who caught them with ease, although holding them in hands was difficult for the armor and different plates were heavy for her fragile hands. "Now put them on."  
The girl set her eyes on the other woman, wishing to ask some questions concerning the whole situation, but Sejuani neglected her reach for attention and began minding her own business.

She looked through the cupboards. "You said it would be here," muttered Sejuani angrily, looking through every single corner.

_It is. Look deeper._

"Next time you hide something that has a great value, hide it somewhere where people can actually find it."

_Like you said - it is a thing of great value, therefore it can not be hidden in a place where everyone can find and take it._

Sejuani sighed quietly and made no response. What she was seeking was a sacrifical blade, made from black ice. She had only heard stories of it, but until now was unaware that Ashe was the one who had the hold of it. Maybe killing her without interrogation was a bad idea. But, she thought, smirking to herself, everyone learns from their mistakes.

_Its here_, said Ashe when she opened the last drawer from the big wardrobe. But she saw nothing. It was empty. However, instead of panicking and questioning where the blade had gone, she heard the archer's voice again: _now kneel down. Do you see a quill glued to the bottom...? Great, remove it, now - there is a hole. Press the tip of the quill into it. _

Sejuani did what she was told to and, to her surprise and amusement, the plate lifted itself and looking up, she saw the tip of sharp and shining dark blade peeking out. She took it immediately and sighed from the beauty it possessed. "It must be old..."  
_It is. It belonged to our ancestors.  
_"And why do you, of all people, have it then?"  
_Truth to be told, I do not know, but thinking in a logical way, let us face the ugly truth: I and my clan are the most peaceful ones. Lissandra would use it constantly to spill blood and bring sacrifices in order to make herself even more powerful and you... well, it is most likely that you would do the same.  
_"I would..." Sejuani paused. Yes, Ashe was right. She would kill people, thousands of them, if it would come to bringing her clan to a more powerful position. She would destroy anyone just to rule Freljord. "And why did you not use it?"  
_We, Avarosan, never were hungry for power. We want peace in our land, balance. There were three of our sisters originally and it has to stay so. Till the end of time._

"Your highness?"  
Sejuani looked up, realizing that she had been muttering to herself this whole time and Elyon was already ready. Armor did not suit the girl at all. She was so small, so fragile. It was absurd how someone like she could survive in the cold. And yet she did. Guess there was more than physical strength in her then.  
Standing up, she nodded:"Lets go then." Elyon, obviosly still dumbfounded, did not dare to question her queen's orders, nor about the small talk she had with herself. Fixing the blade onto her belt, she went back to the dungeons. Tryndamere, like she had hoped, was ready. He did not fight against the guards who guided him outside. It seemed that he had nothing against even in being all shackled up with the heavy iron on his hands and legs. Sejuani wondered what would he do if they would let him follow freely. His rage was gone from his eyes; he was tired, exhausted, but her promise kept him going.  
Outside they mounted their rides; Sejuani was on Bristle and everyone else used their horses. Quietly, they all followed the queen to the old burial place where Ashe's body was resting. Ride, even though it did not seem as long as it was the first time, was painful for Sejuani to bear. Her own thoughts, doubts kept bugging her and she could not think radically to say the least. When they finally arrived, she was relieved that she could jump off her boar and finally move her legs in cold snow. The burial place had changed; it was covered in deep snow once again and they spent over half an hour trying to clean the area so that they could remove the stone and reveal the beautiful body of the archer. It had not aged a day.

Tryndamere was allowed to see it for the first time and he made an odd noise which described his mental pain in a most disturbing way Sejuani had ever imagined. She had lost many men and women, but none of them were her loved ones. Even her brothers and sisters did not affect her much. She did not even remember the faces of her family members.  
"The vessel..." she demanded, waving with her hand. Elyon approached her cautiously, but said nothing. She stood where Sejuani positioned her: right where Ashe's head was.  
Then she pushed Tryndamere at the side of the grave. The willing sacrifice of blood from the loved one. And then there was she: the blood of a murderer.  
Funnily enough, spilling blood now made her feel sick, but there was no going back now. She had to finish what she started. Looking at all of them, she took the blade and positioned it on her palm. Even though it barely touched her skin, she felt how the edge was already cutting at her skin: "Are you sure about this?"  
_Positive.  
_Stating in her head that there goes nothing, Sejuani cut deep into her hand. Warm blood poured from her palm and she positioned it above the grave, letting it fall into the cold ground. She watched, how under her eyes, the crimson liquid was sucked into the ground, and from there the tiny rivers moved towards the body.  
Then, not wasting time, she moved to Elyon. Girl started when Sejuani grasped her hand and without saying a word cut her palm as well. Holding strongly her wrist, she pushed the girl to her knees and watched how her blood fell on Ashe's blue lips. She had no time to admire how the whole magic transpired and how it made changes in the archer for the next thing she did, she moved to Tryndamere, eyes glistering with both anticipation and excitement. He voluntarily offered his hand to her, but his eyes never left the dead body in the ground. Not bothering in being careful with this man, she cut him deep and let his blood flow like hers and Elyon's.

She stepped back, watching the whole process, eyes wide and glimmering in the light. A strange noise reached her ears. It was like someone was beating a drum. She tilted her head. The sound came closer and closer until a black horse stopped right in front of her.

"Your highness," said the breathless warrior as if he had done the running. "The Witch... Her armies are attacking our castle!"  
"What?"  
"Lissandra... and the trolls... They are at the doors of the castle. We must hurry."  
Cursing under her breath, she looked at shocked Elyon and Tryndamere, who stared into the grave, hoping something to happen. "Get them to safety," she commanded the guards before mounting Bristle and riding after the messenger.

Behind herself she could hear Tryndamere's desperate roar.

Ashe did not come back.


	9. Chapter 9

She heard screams of men and women mixed together with an unknown to her noise, but as she galloped closer to the battlefield, she saw that not only her warriors were falling, but a great number of trolls had also fallen. The snow, once so white and beautiful, was now soaked in crimson adorned by many fallen bodies.  
Sejuani gritted her teeth and moved her hand; flail was now strongly in her grip and she moved it with an ease. The warrior next to her readied himself to battle. "Wait," she commanded the young man right before he left her side. Looking over her shoulder, towards the old burial place, she could only see the traces of her boar and the her companion. Did they kill Tryndamere like she had promised? And how about Elyon? She did not deserve to die, that girl was strong and brave considering what she went through and how she showed her loyalty to the new queen. Sejuani bit her lower lip applying perhaps a bit too much pressure to the soft skin as it started bleeding. Ashe cared of her people, she cared of her castle. It was her undying wish to see the Avarosan followers alive and well. "Defend the castle. Guard the gates and lead people to safety. Gather men who can fight and send them to the front. Tell them... Tell them to come right away." She had no words. She had to hurry there and she did so after the young man rushed off to fulfill her orders.

The closer she got to the battlefield, the more she could smell and taste the blood that filled the air. It did not take long till she saw Ruen fighting along with his other warriors. Neither did she have enough time to examine the battlefield for it seemed that the trolls knew their target and she was attacked almost immediately. Swinging her flail, hitting and pushing as many foes away as possible, Sejuani still tried to see her own goal – Lissandra. Did she not "attend" the war herself? _Coward!_

The woman roared loudly as she swung her weapon again; Bristle rammed against anyone who dared to come closer to them and Sejuani was soon enough joined by Ruen who tried to hold off the other attackers. His whole armor was coated in fresh blood and half of his face was bruised from beating. "How many of them are there?" she asked through her teeth before a line of cursing words all escaped her mouth. Trolls were far more stronger than humans and she could also feel how Bristle was slowly growing tired under her. She noticed that his legs and a part of his head was bleeding; that made her promise to crush the heads of those who dared to touch her pet.  
"Hundreds! Thousands, I don't know! They spread around like Hydra! You kill one and two more appear." Ruen was breathless. The battle came so suddenly. No one had time to prepare and yet they all had known that Lissandra was readying herself. They even had found a clear hint. The dead scout.  
"And Lissandra?"  
"Nowhere to be seen!"  
Sejuani had no time to require more. Ruen was right, the more trolls she slaughtered, the more of them appeared and soon enough she was separated from Ruen. Maybe he died under the wave of the enemies, or maybe he was lucky enough and his head got bludgeoned. Looking around, searching for the sight of him was pointless now. Surrounded by many, she did not notice how she had fallen into the trap until it was too late. She had no allies near by and she was surrounded by the trolls. Swinging her flail, Sejuani tried to scare them away, but none of them were frightened of the boar's angry scrambling nor her threats. One of them gave the command and archers pointed their arrows towards them; not expecting this, she tried to figure out how to survive the storm of arrows, but before any of them hit her, she was knocked hard in the back and Sejuani fell off Bristle. Only then did the trolls fire her arrows and once she realized what they did, she let out a desperate cry of anger and pain. The mighty animal fell down, breathing heavily and whimpering in pain. Sejuani tried to get up, but strong arms held her down and she was forced to watch how one of them crushed Bristle's head under his heavy club.  
Breathing heavily, Sejuani turned her head at the assaulter group, but none of them did anything to her. Instead, she was even released and the troll who kept had been holding her down stepped away. The queen stood up; her legs were weak from the traumatic experience moments ago, but she did not want to show her weakness anyhow. Picking up her flail, she glared at the foes:"which one of you is first."  
"That would be me," answered Lissandra from behind. Before Sejuani could even turn around, the dark ice pierced her right shoulder and leg. The flail was dropped on the ground and the woman, now trapped in her icy prison, gasped for air while whimpering in pain. Tears began rolling from her eyes. 

The ice witch came closer, finally standing in front of Sejuani. For their battle she was all in red. Like her own blood, she realized as she began shivering from cold. If there was one thing she hated the most, that would be being vulnerable and now she was at Lissandra's wake, all her body parts exposed and weak. "You look cold my dear. Were you not cut from ice?" the witch asked as she leaned closer, her cold breath tickling on Sejuani's cheek. She did not answer, nor was she even able to open her trembling lips. Her throat was already aching from the screams that she tried to hold in. That did not amuse Lissandra however, as she pulled back and hit her in the face. "You respond when you are spoken to! Queen you call yourself, you can not even protect your kingdom. That is how they will remember you – the Queen who Failed!"  
An ice shard pierced her other leg and Sejuani let out a cry of pain. Her bones were broken and she could not even move her hand. "Yes, let them hear you. Let them hear you scream while the battle lasts! Scream!" Another ice shard was forced into her body, this time into her left hand, piercing her elbow and wetting the armor with her blood. It appeared that Lissandra intended on making her suffer before finishing her off. And, as if reading her mind and fears, the ice witch pierced her hands and legs more and more with the sharp ice shards; Sejuani's screams echoed through the mountains at first, but then with her blood flowing out in great amounts, with all the pain and desperation and sore throat, she could not even make a sound.

"Listen now, warriors!" Lissandra turned herself around. The ice into which Sejuani was impaled was lifted higher for everyone to see. "This is what happens to those who oppose me! This -" she pointed towards the dead boar:"will be what you must do with her allies. Go, kill them all! Slaughter the vermin!"

The trolls roared and to Sejuani, who only lingered between life and death, that sounded the most horrifying sound of all. She did not hear them leave, but she could feel the witch's cold breath on her face again. "This is my kingdom now. The whole world will be buried with ice," whispered she as she cut through the armor and right into her heart.

Swan song.

Although she had never even seen swans, seeing them fly into the distance and listening to them was the last thing she heard.


	10. Chapter 10

Elyon shifted in the chair. Three women, one with a bow in her hands, one with a flail and the other one simply holding her hands on her chest were laying on the three separate beds. To her surprise they were all so peaceful when they were resting; so beautiful, so peaceful and so cold.

The ice witch had her helm removed and the white hair was set loose for a while. It adorned her beautifully as if it was a frame made out of the purest snow there was. To Elyon she reminded of a queen – the real Queen. She was majestic and proud, even in her slumber she seemed to know what was truly going on and by whom she was surrounded. She could almost feel the magic of Lissandra reaching her, embracing her own fragile body with cold.

Sejuani was finally at rest. Elyon did not believe that the woman had ever slept with that expression in her life. She was finally relaxed, hands loosely around her weapon of choice. Without the armor she was even smaller than the girl had imagined, though the Winter's Wrath certainly had the body of a warrior. She was well built and Elyon could distinguish the toned muscles under the thin layer of cloth.

Ashe, on the other hand, had a look of an innocent child. She was perhaps the prettiest of the three of them; her shorter white hair was like Lissandra's. So white, so beautiful, so soft and framing her face in luminous light. Her lips were bright pink and her cheeks seemed to glow even though she was in a deep sleep.

The war that had broken down had finally caught the Institute's attention, but it appeared that they wished to see how everything would develop before they would interrupt and use their magic in order to save the balance in Freljord. There should be no Queen in Freljord; the whole country was meant to be divided by the three sisters from the very beginning of their own lives. Elyon, for some reason, always wished to believe in a small dream – there soon would be no Freljord.

The ice would melt, the snow would disappear and finally, after all those battles and after all the sacrifices her people have made – there would be peace. No queens, no kings, just people who have finally developed an understanding of their lives, their neighbors and the true power and what it could do.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door behind her. Elyon startled and looked over her shoulder. The girl did not bother to look over there for she knew who it was.  
"They are doing well. Remarkably well." The man in summoner's robes sat next to the Freljordian and observed the three female figures on the beds. His hood hid most of his face and the only thing she could see was a pale chin and the tip of the nose. "We have another task for you."  
Elyon looked up:"I am not a slave."  
"You are not," the summoner agreed, still not bothering to turn his head towards the girl who was giving the man a frown in a response.  
"And yet you command me."  
"_We _command you."

There was a small pause before the man continued:"the battle was something, don't you agree? The sacrifice, blood, the bodies on the ground..."  
"The Institute of War has always surprised me. You say you want peace and balance and yet you support wars and do nothing when hell breaks loose."  
"Oh, but we do something," Elyon heard a quiet chuckle. She turned her head away. "We interrupted. Ashe did not return, do you remember? Tryndamere killed himself when Sejuani failed to fulfill her promise and Lissandra... We all know that the tables had turned for the temporary queen and soon enough she would had fallen too."  
"I wonder by whose hand if there was no one to face her."  
"Ah, but that is the question you already know the answer to."  
"I highly doubt I do. Unless Trundle decided to face her, though this is hardly believable."  
Another chuckle. Elyon felt like pushing a brick through his lips. "No, you know who would have been the Ruler of the Freljord after Lissandra would had taken the crown." He leaned closer to the girl, wicked grin on his pale face:"The poor little bastard daughter who is now forced to serve all her three sisters for the eternity. Do you like it, Elyon?"

"No."  
"Ahah, I never really took you as a power-hungry person."  
"Get to the point. I don't care what you have to say, I am doing my duty and I am not following your orders because I have to, I am doing this..."  
"For them, yes, we all are aware of that. Anyhow then – their memories have been erased. Anyone who died has been brought back to life."  
"That's brutal! Everyone?! I understand the leaders and some of the important men and women, but – everyone? Do you intend on creating a kingdom of soulless ghouls?!"  
"They are not ghouls, but you are right – they lack a certain aspect that many people have. And yet you do well if my opinion here counts." The man in the robes stood up and looked at the bodies once more. "Your orders are clear. From today on you will be serving the new leader till the time comes to change the alliances again. I wish you best of luck." With these words she was left alone once again and Elyon sighed.

Eternal servitude. Eternal struggle to keep them all in line and to support them as a low-born girl. Freljord deserved a good leader, it was a pity that these three did not put all their differences aside and do it all together. A pity indeed. With Sejuani's tactics, Ashe's ambition and Lissandra's power the Freljord would certainly be the most powerful country in the whole Valoran.  
But, as for now, they all had to sit and watch and wait for someone to make a change. And Elyon had no right tools nor power to make anyone believe her.

Elyon pulled hood closer to her face. The cold was biting her cheeks and she was shuddering under the snow that was coating her all over. Her eyes wandered from one side to another, observing the cold surroundings and admiring the distance as well.  
A rough hand landed on her shoulder. "She wishes to see you."  
That was an order which she could not reject even if she wanted to. Nodding slowly, the young woman made her way to the long hallways filled with different, grotesque paintings and statues. She did not know the origin of those, but in form of art, these were incredible.  
Once in the room of the leader, Elyon bowed deeply. "You summoned me, my queen."  
Lissandra turned around; a small smile appeared on those cold blue lips. "Yes. I have a task that only you can fulfill. I want you to infiltrate and assassinate Sejuani."


End file.
